Per Aspera Ad Astra
by FishPatronus
Summary: Sequel to Non Revertens. When Hermione goes to search for her parents, she finds two more people along the way. One very confused and broken Draco Malfoy, and one older looking and disoriented Harry Potter? She finds herself trying to get through to both Malfoy and Potter, neither seeming to like the other, and neither wanting to accept her help.
1. Prologue

Hermione had her white beaded bag packed with everything she knew she would need while in Australia. She had only a couple of weeks before she would have to return to England in order to prepare for their final year at Hogwarts. It was going to be difficult to find her parents, and even harder to restore their memories. But she was determined to do it.

She stood in the room that she shared with Ginny and stared at herself in the mirror. This war had changed her a lot and not necessarily in a good way. But she was going to change that. She would overcome the feeling of loss. Yes, they won the war, but she still felt as though loss accompanied everyone.

"Hey Hermione, breakfast is ready. You'll want to get a nice big meal in before you depart." Ginny had entered the room to find out what Hermione was doing. Hermione turned to her and smiled.

"I'm coming, thanks Ginny." Hermione followed her friend out of the bedroom and downstairs where all of the Weasleys were gathered, plus Harry and Sirius.

"So you've got everything you need now, Dear?" Molly Weasley asked Hermione with a warm smile.

"Yes, Mrs. Weasley. I've got everything packed and ready to go." Hermione smiled at the elder witch and sat down with everybody at the table. Omelets and biscuits and other breakfast foods covered the table, and everybody dug into their meals.

Once the meal was over, Hermione stood from the table. Everybody turned to look at her, and she managed a small nervous smile. "I'll be going now. I can't lose anymore time. Thank you all for your support. It is much appreciated."

"No problem, Hermione. Let us know if you need anything," Harry said while he embraced the young witch. Ron took his turn in embracing her as well and then she walked out of the back door of The Burrow. Once she was far enough away, she disapparated, wondering if she would have enough time to save her parents.

She arrived along the edge of a wood, near a crowded park. She knew that this would be a good place to start looking, because this was where she had intended for her parents to be. She moved closer toward the crowd so as to blend in and not be noticed. Then she began walking toward the city. She had already knew what city they were in. It was the city she had ingrained into their memories when she modified them. As far as where exactly they would be living, she wasn't quite sure.

She found a small hotel called The Rosewood Hotel and checked into it. It was getting late in Australia and she didn't want to cause suspicion for being out at night. When she got into her room, she began summoning things from her bag. She used the provided table in her room to sprawl out all kinds of potions and charms books as well as potion supplies such as sage and mint. The light in the room flickered for a quick moment and Hermione's attention was drawn to a book next to the telephone on the bedside table. A phonebook. Hermione quickly got up and opened it, searching for the names of her parents.

Wendell Wilkins. Three-hundred and fifty-one Adella Plaza was two blocks away from the hotel. Hermione felt a smile creep up on her face. She couldn't help but feel a prickle of hope and delight. She got pretty far in just her first few hours in Australia. Approaching them would be the hard part.

Hermione sighed and decided to get on an Australian sleeping schedule by taking a sleeping draught. She would be ready to take the next step tomorrow morning.


	2. Chapter 1

_**A/N: Hey guys! I'm finally back to working on this story! Things have been a little tough lately so bear with me.**_

_**IF YOU HAVE NOT READ NON REVERTENS YET, THEN YOU WILL NOT UNDERSTAND PER ASPERA AD ASTRA! GO READ IT FIRST.**_

_**Also, if you like what you've read so far and want more, more often, then find me on twitter under the same username for information about how to support me as well as how to get exclusive access to one-shots, pre-updates, etc. **_

Chapter 1

* * *

**Glory - Bastille**

Not everything had gone to plan

But we made the best of what we had, you know?

Passing the drink from hand to hand

We admit we really know nothing at all

* * *

Hermione got up bright and early the first morning and opened up her bag. She knew what she was going to do in order to go in the right direction. It was shocking she hadn't thought of it before, but now, remembering that it was there, she felt as though she had no choice but to use it.

"Accio liquid luck," she said, pointing her wand into the bag. Seconds later, a small vial of golden yellow liquid came jumping out. She caught it in her hand and uncorked it. After downing the liquid in one go, she packed up her bag with a confident wave of her wand and headed out of the hotel room door. She knew what she had to do.

A few blocks away there was a local cafe. She sat there at the coffee bar with a chocolate chai latte and waited for a while. People came and went until finally, with a little bit of luck, Wendell and Monica Wilkins walked in. Unable to help it, Hermione let a bright smile show on her face.

They ordered their drinks at the counter and made their way over to the bar where she sat. They came right to her! She didn't even put in much effort! Was this how Harry felt when he took the potion back at Hogwarts? She could get used to this.

She glanced over at her parents, sitting together on her right. She wasn't completely sure but she had a feeling that what she was about to do was the right thing.

So she pretended to accidentally knock over her cup in their direction. She gasped, looking very appalled, and grabbed a handful of napkins from the holder nearby.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to, are you alright?" She asked.

They both smiled graciously at her and her heart filled with warmth. Oh how she missed them. She stood there for a minute before coming to her senses.

"Sorry, you two just look very much like my parents. I do miss them," she said. She handed them napkins and they dried themselves off.

"No worries, Dear. I'm flattered." Monica extended her hand to Hermione's shoulder warmly and then pulled away after a few seconds, clearing her throat. "What's your name?"

"I'm Hermione. Hermione Granger."

The couple exchanged glances, their eyebrows furrowed as if they were trying to remember something. As they turned to look at her again, Hermione smiled brightly and began to gather her belongings.

"Well, I must get going. It was nice to meet you two. Bye!" she hurried to the front entrance of the cafe.

When she got outside, she practically ran toward the park. She knew she had to go there. For what reason, she was unsure. She just knew something was going to happen there and she needed to be present.

At the park, there were trails, trees, ponds, benches and tables, and more. Hermione decided to take a walk along a quiet and less conspicuous trail leading through the woodsy area of the park. She took in her surroundings, the different types of trees, moss, and grass that made their home in the park. She listened to the animals and insects as she walked further on.

After walking for about a mile, she caught sight of an old bench and decided that she was supposed to be sitting there. She made her way toward it, listening to the rustling of leaves as the wind blew gently through the branches of the trees.

She sat herself on the bench, not worried at all when it creaked loudly and sank a little bit under her weight. The bench faced away from the path, and toward the trees. But in the distance you could see there was a small clearing with a pond. She stared at that pond for a long while.

Suddenly, there was a movement in the trees just by the pond where she kept her eyes trained. She saw a stag, approaching the water slowly. She narrowed her eyes as she couldn't help but feel a sense of deja vu, like the stag was someone she knew.

Taking a breath, she stood up and approached the woods, heading in the direction of the clearing. She went slowly, so she wouldn't startle the animal. The stag jerked its head up suddenly and froze, staring her in the face from several feet away.

"It's okay," she said quietly to avoid disturbing the peace. "I won't hurt you."

But there were sounds of approaching footsteps and the familiar looking stag bolted away. Hermione turned around to face the direction of the footsteps and her eyes went wide.

"Malfoy… How did you…?" The Felix Felicis potion led her here, face to face with someone who hated her very much. But she wasn't afraid. She knew that it was meant to happen. What she didn't know was why it was meant to happen or how he got to Australia in the first place. What were the odds of him being in the exact same part of Australia as she was?

"Granger…" Draco Malfoy's voice wasn't as harsh as she remembered it being. But it wasn't warm and welcoming either. "What are you doing in Australia?"

"I could ask you the same thing you know. Especially since I'm not the one who has a restriction on magic." She crossed her arms, looking smug. This was going well. She knew it was.

"I don't have to answer… " he paused when he finally realized her facial expression had changed from confused to smug. "What do you look so smug for?"

"I don't know. Maybe because somehow this interaction will help me. It's a bit weird, finding out that the person who has always hated me the most is somehow connected to my mission," Hermione said, getting lost in thought.

"What the hell are you on about? I'm not helping you with anything!"

"Yes you are. Anyways, I have to go, I can't let my luck die out just yet." Turning on her heel, Hermione set down the path in the direction the stag went.

"Wait!" his footsteps followed her and she rolled her eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"Since when do you care, Malfoy?" She tried hiding the smirk on her face, but she couldn't help but let it show.

"I don't."

"Totally believable." She said sarcastically. "Well since you're still following me, you may as well help me look for the stag that you so rudely scared off."

"Didn't I tell you I'm not helping you with anything?" he said.

"Then why are you still following me?" She asked.

"I, well I uh. I don't know, maybe because you're the only person who can help me… I guess." At this point he was talking more to himself than to her, as he was talking rather quietly and she was more focused on finding the stag. "Hey!"

She began running into the trees, away from any clearing or path. Draco Malfoy of course followed her, as he wanted to see what the hell was so important about a stag.

Finally she came to a stop, an abrupt stop. Malfoy stood a few feet back, watching. She stared on in the distance and soon her eyes landed on a small structure, sort of like a large burrow or a really small cave. She turned back to Malfoy, her finger over her lips as a signal to keep quiet, and she pointed to it.

Draco's eyes narrowed at it, and then at her. "What's so special about it? What's so important about that stag?" he whispered.

She didn't reply. Instead, she crouched down in the brush and pulled out her wand. Draco took a few steps closer to her and crouched down as well.

"What are you doing?" Draco asked.

"Expecto Patronum," Hermione whispered. Draco was surprised at her choice of incantation, but curious to know what her patronus would take the form of. A whispy, silvery-white otter took form and swam around the air in front of them. She sent it into the burrow. When it came back out, she allowed it to disappear. She sat there and waited a few moments.

A silvery white light emitted from the small cave and took the form of a stag. Hermione let out a small gasp and turned to Draco, shocked.

"Who's in there Granger?" She noticed the look of fear mixed with apprehension on his face and gave a small shake of her head with a smile.

"It's not something you should be afraid of, Malfoy." She said. "It's just something that's… impossible. I don't understand what's going on now, but I have to go see." She stood up and brought her wand down to her side, but still held it firmly in her hand. Draco stood with her.

As she walked slowly toward the burrow, Draco followed, but kept a further distance from it than she did. The entrance to the burrow was a little bit shorter than her, but she could see that it went deep into the ground. She lifted her wand and casted her patronus once more, sending it into the burrow so she could see just how far it went. Her patronus soon disappeared, but it came back not long after its disappearance, and a stag followed it. Not a stag patronus, but a real stag.

The stag stopped a couple of meters away from where they stood at the entrance of the small cave. She faced it squarely, keeping her distance so she wouldn't scare it.

"I don't understand," she said. "I don't know how you're… here."

"Who is it?" Draco asked.

"James Potter."


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

* * *

**The Silence - Bastille**

Tell Me a piece of your history that you've never said out loud

Pull the rug beneath my feet and shake me to the ground

Wrap me around your fingers, break the silence open wide

Before it seeps into my ears and fills me up from the inside

* * *

Draco looked horrified as Hermione tried to put the very confusing pieces together in her mind. She must have gone mad, thinking that after all this time James Potter, father of the most famous wizard of the century, could still be alive. Shaking his head Draco began to speak.

"Granger, you've gone loony. That's absolute codswallop, you know," he said.

"Harry's dad was an unregistered animagus that took the form of a stag," Hermione began to explain. "His patronus, like Harry's, was also a stag. Of course you wouldn't know this because it's not common knowledge. Sirius Black and Remus Lupin told us about it."

"That may not be common knowledge, but do you know what _is _common knowledge, Granger? The fact that James Potter is dead." Draco became annoyed, but what he didn't notice while he was arguing with Hermione was the fact that the stag had indeed shifted into human form, and it was indeed James Potter.

"Look for yourself then, if you don't believe me," Hermione said, gesturing to the man that was slowly and apprehensively walking toward them. "Although I'm still not sure if I completely believe it myself."

James Potter, in his twenties, looking much like how Harry looked right after he got back from the past, stopped in front of Hermione. He looked a mess. It was as though he hadn't showered in a while, but he also looked emotionally drained.

"You weren't in hiding all this time," Hermione said, with a look of shocked realization across her face. "You jumped to the future! Blimey, you still look in your twenties!"

"You're Harry's friend. Hermione, isn't it?" James asked. His voice sounded tired and curious.

"Oh, um yes, Hermione Granger." Hermione stuck out her hand to shake his, but he didn't take it. Instead he offered a smile and an apology, showing the excessive amounts of dirt and grime on his hands.

Draco was more confused than ever now. "Explain to me how in the bloody hell he knows who you are if he supposedly jumped to the future and wasn't here for the past eighteen years?"

"That's something that would be easier for Harry to explain, seeing as I don't quite understand it myself," Hermione said. "He knows about it better than I do. But really that's not important right now."

"Where is Harry?" James asked.

Hermione shuffled on her feet a little bit. "Harry's back in England still. Why did you come to Australia?"

"I was told I had to make absolutely sure nobody knew I was alive until after Harry came back from… Well, you know. So that it didn't affect the timeline," James said. "I appeared in a clearing in the forbidden forest and then shifted into my animagus form and set off to Hogsmeade to figure out the date from any sort of newspaper I could find." He ran his hand through his hair as if he was trying to think. "When I found out that it wasn't time for me to show up yet, I decided to come to Australia to stay well away from Harry, so it wouldn't mess anything up. It was… difficult."

"Is anyone going to explain to me what's going on?" Draco said, sounding indignant.

"Enough questions," Hermione said. She turned to James who was taller than she was and looked at him. "We need to get you cleaned up, and Harry needs to know you're here."

"Not yet." When he saw both of their confused faces, James explained further. "I mean, yes, I need to get cleaned up. But I don't know if I'm ready to face Harry yet. It will be… awkward."

Hermione nodded in understanding, but Draco shook his head coldly. "I'm leaving." He walked away quickly before Hermione or James could say anything.

"Who's he?" James asked. "And what's his problem? He looks like… nevermind."

Hermione stared at his retreating form in confusion. "His name is Draco Malfoy. Wait!" As soon as James heard his name, his last name, he pulled his wand up defensively. "He's not… well he's not _all_ bad. He's not like his father, cold and rude as he may seem." James seemed to relax, but only slightly. Hermione smiled at him and held out her arm. "Come on, let's get you a shower."

James took her arm and she apparated them to her hotel room. Once inside, she noticed that the effects of the Felix Felices potion had completely worn off. She hadn't expected for the day to go the way it did. She hoped to get her parents back soon.

"Where is this?" James asked, taking in his surroundings.

"The Rosewood Hotel. Still in Australia. Mind your magic while you're here, we're surrounded by muggles," she replied. Pointing to the bathroom, she said "The bathroom is just over there, you can take a shower."

James made his way to the bathroom and Hermione sat down at her desk, lost in thought. That's why Harry's eyes weren't green when he got back. He transfigured them to look like James' eyes so they would be more like twins. She wondered what it was like back then, at Hogwarts. It probably wasn't as bad as it was during her time at Hogwarts, with the war getting so much bigger. So many lives had been lost.

Looking down at the mahogany wood of the desk, Hermione rested her chin on the palm of her hand and sighed. She would've loved to go back and do it all over again, without worrying about the war. Maybe then she could've learned more. She wasn't complaining about what she did learn, however. It got her through the war alive.

There was a small tap on the window of the hotel room and Hermione looked up to find an owl sitting there with a letter. She got up and opened the window, letting the owl fly in and land on the desk that she just sat at. Sitting back down, she summoned a treat for the owl and took the envelope. She read the letter out loud in a whisper to herself.

"_Hermione, _

_I wanted to see how things were going for you in Australia. Mrs. Weasley is worried about you, though she won't admit it. You know how she can be. In fact, I'd expect a letter from her anytime soon._

_I didn't mention this to anyone yet, but before I came back I asked Dumbledore for a favor. I asked him to save my dad somehow. I know it's crazy to think about, and it seems unlikely, but he's not just my dad anymore. He's my brother. And I also know there have been a lot of crazy and unlikely things that have happened, so why shouldn't I at least try? Anyways, I haven't seen any sign of him yet, so I'm beginning to think it might not have happened. _

_Have you found any sign of your parents yet? Australia is a big place after all. I hope you're okay. _

_Harry." _

Hermione smiled to herself, taking out a quill and paper to write a quick response.

_Harry, _

_I'm alright. I have found my parents but so far no success in returning their memories. Did you know Draco Malfoy is in Australia? I don't know why yet, but I'm curious. He can't possibly be trying to take a vacation, can he? I was a bit shocked to see other familiar faces here. You know, aside from my parents. I do hope you're right about getting to hear from Mrs. Weasley. Even though it's only been just over a day I do miss everyone. Now more than ever. I'm sure there's still time to see if your dad has shown up. Who knows where he could be? It's a new timeline to him, after all._

Hermione rolled up the letter and handed it to the barn owl that still waited on the mahogany desk. She sent it on its way and nearly jumped when she noticed that James was no longer in the bathroom showering.

"Do you feel a bit better now?" she asked him. He was wearing the same clothes he'd worn before, only she could tell he'd used a cleaning spell on them.

"Much better, though I'm kind of hungry now." He put his hand on his stomach and Hermione checked the time on the wall clock.

"It is about dinner time, isn't it? Why don't we go to a diner or something and get some food?"

James frowned. "Wouldn't somebody recognise me?"

"Not here. We're going to be among muggles, and we're in Australia. But if you're that worried about it, I could just give you a de-aging potion and transfigure your eyes. Then you'll look like Harry." Hermione said, summoning de-aging potion from her beaded bag with her wand.

"Good idea." James took the potion as she poured out just enough for him to look the same age as Harry. It was incredibly odd, looking at him now, as he did look remarkably like her best friend. She held up her wand to his eyes and focused on them watching as they shifted to the same shade of green as Harry's. "Thank you for helping me."

"Not a problem. Are you ready to go now?"

"Yes, I'm starved," he said. He pointed his wand at his shirt pocket, most likely using an undetectable extension charm, and then he slipped it inside.

Hermione led him to the door leading out to the hallway and they left the hotel. Of course, Hermione was just as new to the area as James was, but she knew better how to find her way among muggles. It didn't help that James Potter wasn't from this time period.

"Olde Towne Wagon Eatery?" James said, as they passed the diner-like restaurant building. It was a quaint little place. Hermione stopped in front of it, looking inside one of the large nearly wall-sized windows. It definitely seemed to stand out against their surroundings, normal as it looked.

"Odd name for a diner, isn't it?" Hermione looked over at James questioningly, as if to ask him if he wanted to stop there. He shrugged and then nodded. They walked inside, finding that it was almost empty. It looked new, though the style was old fashioned. A server, wearing a pale blue collared shirt tucked into a white knee-length skirt with a blue apron tied around it, greeted them with a smile.

"Sit wherever you'd like, I'll bring menus to you shortly," she said in an overly cheery tone. They both thanked her and chose to sit in a booth at the far back of the restaurant, away from the other customer that was there.

Once they got their menus and ordered, James spoke up.

"So, what was it like for you in Hogwarts?" He asked curiously.

Hermione thought for a moment before answering. "Well it definitely wasn't easy. Voldemort had been trying to come back ever since our first year. Being a muggle-born witch was difficult, what with all of the Slytherins trying to hex me, calling me names, sabotaging me, and so on. But Harry had it the worst."

"What do you mean?" James asked. He'd remembered the prophecy about Harry, wondering how it all played out.

"Harry was connected to him. Through his scar. From our first year and forward, Harry knew something was going to happen. In our first year, Voldemort had possessed our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, trying to get his hands on the Philosopher's stone so he could come back," Hermione said. "In our second year, he used one of his horcruxes, a journal, to possess Ron's little sister, Ginny, and come back. Harry ended up having to stab a basilisk with the Sword of Godrick Gryffindor, and our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Gilderoy Lockhart, ended up losing his memory…"

"Lockhart was a professor?" James asked. "Blimey, who would've thought he'd been qualified for that?"

"He wasn't. At all." Hermione refrained from saying anything about magic while the server was putting their food on the table in front of them. Once she left again though, Hermione continued talking. "Our third year was weird. While Voldemort seemed to stay quiet for the most part, it was still problematic. You see, everyone thought that Sirius Black was to blame for… you know. And they thought Peter Pettigrew was dead. Well Sirius ended up escaping Azkaban. The ministry thought he was out to kill Harry. We ended up saving him from getting the Dementors' Kiss, but he had to stay in hiding, and Ron's pet rat called Scabbers ended up being Peter Pettigrew the whole time."

James listened to her while she spoke, making eye contact every so often to let her know he was listening despite the fact that he was devouring his food. Once he finished the bite he was on, he spoke to her. "That slimy bastard. Harry never really like him much and now I know why. But what about fourth year, what happened then?"

"Voldemort returned. During the Tri-wizard Tournament. You see, there were only supposed to be three competitors, but Barty Crouch Jr had locked Mad-eye Moody up and took his place as the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor. He was constantly taking polyjuice potion. He'd rigged the cup to recognise Harry as a fourth competitor under a different school. So Harry ended up having to compete, and he made it to where Harry won." Hermione paused as if she was trying to figure out how to continue. "When Harry reached the cup, he and the other Hogwarts competitor touched it simultaneously. They ended up in a graveyard where Peter Pettigrew killed the other competitor instantly and used Harry's blood to bring Voldemort back. Their connection grew stronger once Voldemort actually had a body."

Hermione ate some fries off of her plate, but she wasn't as hungry as James was. She ate more slowly, telling James about what had happened in the time that he had missed. She told him about how their fifth year was spent having to deal with the formidable Delores Umbridge and the fact that the ministry refused to believe Harry about the dark lord's return. James' eyes began to water when she told him that Sirius hadn't survived that year.

Then she told him about sixth year, and Dumbledore's search for the horcruxes. She told him about how Severus Snape had become the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Horace Slughorn became the potions professor, and Albus Dumbledore got killed. She told him about how they were on the run in their seventh year. Hiding from Death Eaters whilst destroying horcruxes. She told him about the Battle of Hogwarts and how so many people had sacrificed their lives to fight Voldemort. She told him that Remus Lupin hadn't survived, but that he and Nymphadora Tonks had a child that Harry was the godfather of.

When James learned about the death of his other best friend, tears began to fall down his face. So many people were gone, people that he loved, people that he could never imagine his life without. Hermione stayed quiet for a few minutes, allowing him to have his moment. Eventually, he calmed himself down and stopped crying.

"What happened when Harry went back in time? You know, to my timeline." He said, his voice hoarse.

"Well, there are still some Death Eaters who believe that they can bring Voldemort back for a third time. He and Ron were at the Leaky Cauldron and they got attacked. He was wearing a time-turner that I had asked him to look after. When he got hit, the time-turner sent him back to the year when you were eleven," Hermoine said. "To us, he was only gone for a few seconds. Right after he re-appeared, Sirius came running in, first as an animagus. But he shifted into his human form to help us. Nobody knew he was alive. When Bellatrix hit him, we all thought it was with the killing curse. The light was green, after all. My guess is that it was modified, because he told us that he was only stunned. He fell into the veil that's in the department of mysteries at the ministry. He was there for weeks and we all thought he had died."

"So Sirius is alive, but in hiding?" James asked.

"No, the new minister for magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, redeemed him. He explained that it wasn't Sirius who betrayed you." Hermione said.

The server came to their table once more to take their now empty plates. Hermione asked for the bill and she gave it to her. Once Hermione paid, they left the diner and headed back to the hotel.

"Where's Peter?" James asked. They were walking along the street, but there were few people around.

"Dead. He killed himself." When Hermione registered the look of shock on James' face, she explained further. "Well, actually the hand that Voldemort gave him to replace the one he cut off choked him to death. So really, Voldemort killed him."

"He cut off his hand? For Voldemort?"

"Yes. He helped us in the end, to escape the basement of Malfoy Manor. That was when the hand that Voldemort gave him killed him."

They finally got to the hotel and headed to Hermione's room. Once inside, Hermione took out her wand and pointed it at the bed.

"Scindo." After a few seconds of focus and a precise but simple wand movement, the full sized bed became two, separate, twin sized beds. She turned to James, who was currently looking at the book that was lying on her desk. It was all about memory charms. She didn't remember leaving it there.

"You're studying memory charms?" he asked. She nodded.

"I need to figure out how to reverse something that's… memory related. What do you know about them?"

"I know how to reverse memory modifications, if that's what you need help with," James said. "Before the war really picked up, I worked for the ministry. I had different tasks and responsibilities, but one of those was accidental magic. We had loads of memory related cases."

"I thought accidental magic was for kids who couldn't control their magic." Hermione looked shocked.

"Seventy-five percent of the time, it is. The rest is grown witches and wizards who experiment around with magic or mess with muggles," James explained. "I had a case once where a muggle-born decided to play what he considered to be a harmless prank on his muggle cousin. He modified his memories to make him believe that he was a woman twice his actual age."

"Then why does everyone else think it's impossible to do?" Hermione asked. She was definitely ecstatic upon hearing that her parents could be helped.

"Because it's very secretive. We can't just tell everybody there's a fix. Then everyone would go out and try to modify people's memories as pranks and revenge. They'd figure that since there's an easy cure, it's no harm done. When in reality, it's not always easy to fix. And there's definitely still some harm done, whether it be big or small." When James noticed Hermione's face fall, he narrowed his eyes. "What did you do?"

"I'm a muggle-born. When the war got really bad, my parents weren't safe. In order to protect them, I modified their memories. I made them believe they were completely different people, living different lives. I made them move to Australia in the hopes that they wouldn't be found and killed." Tears began to stream down her face now as she finally let herself release the built up emotions she felt upon losing her parents. "I made them forget they ever had a daughter." She sunk down onto one of the beds.

"How long ago was this?" James asked, sitting on the other bed across from her. His attitude immediately became all-business.

"Almost a year."

"Tell me everything you can about them. Not who they are now, but who they were before you altered their memories."

Hermione began to go into as much detail as possible about her parents. Their professions, their interests, their ages, she even told him about how her mother preferred to put the glass cups in the cabinets upside-down.

When it was time for them to turn in for the night and go to sleep, Hermione felt she had given every bit of information she could. It was weird to think about how she trusted him so easily despite just meeting him. She guessed that him looking almost exactly like Harry now had definitely contributed to the ease of it. After changing into bed clothes in the bathroom, she went to her bed and lay down. Tomorrow morning they would be going to the cafe to see her parents again.


End file.
